A Collision of Mind and Heart
by KensieRae
Summary: DeliaBright told from Ephram's perspective Now completed!
1. My sister

Disclaimer: I don't own Everwood. Did you really believe I did?

Looking back now it seems so clear that they were meant to be together, but at the time nothing could be further from the truth. He was almost ten years her senior and she, barely out of high school. What kind of force draws people together at such different times of their lives? Is that fate or something more, something almost magical?

I was twenty-four that summer and had come home to see my sister graduate. The baby of our family, she was something special and sometimes the only reason we remained intact. Everyone loved Delia, how could they not? I just never imagined it would be my best friend who would teach her how to love. Sure, there had been good examples of love all through her life, but for every happy couple there was a tragic story. And the tragedies are what remain in our minds, haunting our dreams. So although the world shone love down upon her, my sister never let herself love anyone.

She wasn't always this way. I can remember when she was filled with energy and filled with love. Nothing could keep Delia down, but eventually life caught up with her. This town has always said that I was too old for my age, an old soul I guess you could say. But really I just let my pain show. Using cynicism to protect myself from anymore pain. Deep in Delia's eyes, there has always been wisdom; it is as if she knows that the world holds too much pain for us to take and she has taken it upon her. I can't pinpoint the day that she stopped being the happy child and took upon a broken woman's point of view nor can I see the signs when I reflect upon it. It was sudden. All truly bad things are. I guess you could trace it back to knowing too much too soon, losing so many people before even hitting middle school.

Sure we lost our mother, and don't think that I take it lightly, but Delia seemed to recover well. She never held the same scorn as I did for our father, so he became the receptor of all the love and attention she once poured on Mom. Plus, a new town with new people, that's heaven for the social butterfly she was at nine. It was the consistency of loss and pain that ripped at her. Linda. Delia was too young to need to understand HIV and she loved Linda (well, once she got through her jealousy of sharing Dad once again.) The whole town was caught in the glory of Colin and the heroism of our father. That too was taken in a single blow. Madison, well Delia sent her away but it hurt all the same. It was the loss of Brittany their junior year that caused all the pain to catch her with my sister though.

A/N: Let me know what you think. Like it /hate it. Should I not quit my day job? (I know the answer to that one) BTW: I have taken down my other stories but see my author page for challenges to do with them. I just never had the time to catch up and have changed in the way I view life. (its called growing up: going from high school to college)


	2. The night

_Disclaimer: guess what? I still don't own it, as much as I wish I could own Chris Pratt, nope they won't let me at least not until the restraining order is expired._

_A/N: thanks to my soul reviewer, though I don't know what the pairing will be, if there is_ _one. I am moving and going on vacation (strange combo I know) so I may or may not update until around the 21 of December._

_And on with the show:_

I guess in a way her story is his story. Not all of it of course, just the one thing that drew them together, the one thing only each other understood. It was the guilt they felt living while their best friend died. The "it should have been me" factor of life for those left behind. I should have seen it then, the way he was the only one she could talk to. He was the only one who could make her see that it would be okay, she could live on. But let's not get ahead of our selves.

Watching her walk across the stage I think of all the people who should be here to share this moment. I think of Mom, as Delia has ages she looks more and more like her. However, Delia is more of Dad's daughter than Mom's daughter. She has his persistence, his need to have attention raining down upon him. Then there's her smile; no one can resist it. I can't tell you the number of times I have broken house rules, or lied for her because she threw that smile my way. And now it rarely graces her face, but there it is, for just a second, as the applause rises when they call her name. The town's princess. Once a tomboy who made everyone love her with her interest in their knowledge, she is now the beauty. It's not necessarily one of stunning proportions, but just a certain grace about her that makes her shine brighter than the rest.

Only Delia blames herself for that night. And only Delia really knows what happened, the whole story. What we do know is this: it was dark, snowing, and the roads were icy. The girls were walking back from a party at Charlie's, both completely sober. This is where what occurred is unclear. Brittany was walking along the edge of the train tracks while Delia walked on the road beside her. When the train started coming, Delia moved to the center of the road, but somehow Brittany ended up on the tracks. The conductor says she just stared straight at him, not scared just looking. He could have never stopped in time. The whole town knew Brittany had been depressed, she was just out of a treatment center. Whether it was on purpose, she had been on something that no one knew about, or it was a terrible accident we'll never know. Delia won't talk about that night. I guess she thinks she could have prevented it. Held on to Brittany, or pulled her off the tracks. We'll never know.

Delia pretty much stopped talking after that and the silence was deafening. Dad and I never knew how to reach her. She went to the therapy, but they said she was fine, just changed. All we knew was that you can't send someone to college when you don't know what going on in their head. Certain we had sought help from anyone who could help at all; we resigned to the fact that with Brittany that night we also lost Delia. I don't know why I never saw the connection between their pain.

It was at her graduation party that it all started. Amy always saw Delia as the little sister she never had, or maybe the Barbie doll she never had. Up until that night Amy had tried to remain out of the way and let us handle Delia the best we could. It finally reached a point when she couldn't sit by and watch any longer. So when Amy came to the party she brought the one person she felt could help. Amy saw the connection. That why I love her, she can she beyond what's rational. Pain works that way. Those who feel deep pain silently cry out to one another and so she had felt his pain for a long time.

I don't know if she asked him to talk to her, or if life drew them together. It was several hours into the party when I noticed the guest of honor was missing. Assuming she had fled to avoid hearing memories, I checked her room. Why I checked her room I don't know. Even as she was then, she could never stand to remain inside, like a wild  
cat she needed the room to roam. Out her bedroom window I saw them. Something stopped me from calling out, alerting them of my presence. I think it was the sound of her laughter. It had been such a long time since I had heard her really laugh, as if she were truly happy. I don't know what he did to make her talk, but I will be forever grateful. If you were to ask me today about my happiest memory of my sister it would be that moment. Seeing her relaxed on the porch swing, legs in Bright's lap, laughing as though the world was perfect. I claim this moment as mine, but its not. It is their moment, the one that defines who they are. That night began the rest of her life and in a way the rest of everyone else's lives, because they are so intertwined.


	3. Kindred souls

Disclaimer: Its still not mine, depressing right?

Thanks to my reviewers, but one question: to the reviewer who said they were glad I made it Ephram/Madison, what?!?

On with the show...

As I continued to watch their talk seemed to jump from the happiest she'd been in a year, to very serious. His face said something mine never could have; it was free of concern, just serious. He didn't seem to pity Delia, but he didn't seem to worry about her either. Maybe that is why she was able to open up to him. And for the first time since she was thirteen my sister cried. Openly and so loud I was surprised those at the party didn't come outside to see what was happening. His expression never changing Bright pulled her to his chest and held her close. They sat like that for a long time, Bright not saying a word, just holding her. Finally realizing Delia would be angry if she knew I had witnessed such a private moment, I slipped back downstairs to join our guests.

After what seemed to be hours they entered the house, all signs of tears having faded from her face. Amy and Bright stayed to help me clean while Delia retreated to the living room having had her fill of being social for the night. We talked quietly about everything, but what I most wanted to talk about. When asked where he had been most of the night, Bright simply shrugged as if it wasn't really significant or that memorable. I appreciated his respect for Delia's need to for privacy but it killed me to know that my sister would let someone she barely knew be privy to her pain but not let me, her brother. Leaning in to kiss Amy lightly before they left, I caught Bright lean over the edge of the couch and place a feather-light kiss on Delia's head. Having know him since I was sixteen, I had never seen him treat anyone so tenderly, so fragile.

Two years later I would ask Delia why then, why him for the moment to bare her heart. She simply told me that she had felt his soul call out to hers, knew he felt her pain because it was his own. In short, she said, "we were kindred souls."

A/N: I know its short, but I wanted to give you something. Please review honestly! Love to all.


	4. morning

_Disclaimer: unfortunately I have not gained ownership of Everwood or Christ Pratt in the last few hours, a fact I am currently mourning._

_To my faithful reviewer: I wasn't upset by your mistake (hell, I make tons) just slightly confused. Thanks for all the happys you send about my fic. _

_10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1… blast off_

I should have seen it coming, I seem to say that a lot about this part of my life. But, of course, I was taken by complete surprise when Bright showed up at the front door at 7:30 the next morning. I knew he couldn't be there for me. Not only did I have plans with his sister later, but also anyone who values their reproductive parts knows better than to wake me before 10:00. But there he was, two cups of coffee in his hands and ridiculously happy. I just shook my head and slammed the door. A few seconds later, though, Delia was running down the stairs smiling like mad. What the hell could turn a Brown into a morning person? Convinced that I was dreaming of a strange, twisted dimension, I headed back to bed for many more hours of sleep.

Strangely enough, this odd behavior became a pattern. It became so annoying to hear the doorbell ring at such an unearthly hour, Bright became the first person to actually possess a key to the Brown house. After only three days, my father discovered that the very thing that was driving us mad was also turning us back into a family rather than just three people living in the same house. We came home from work to find Delia cooking the most complicated meal every made in our house (not that it would be very hard since none of us really cook, but that's beyond the point,) and quietly singing to herself. Dinner that night consisted of more than Dad and I talking at each other. Instead Delia began to tell us about going to watch Bright coach football at the school, the movie they had watched the night before, and amazingly enough the conversation began to flow. There were still sore topics, anything that could lead towards a conversation about Brittany. But my sister was back.

_A/N: I am worried that I have lost where I am taking this. This is the last update (seriously) for a little while. Don't worry the story will be on my mind and I may be working on it but I won't be posting. I will check e-mail routinely for reviews and suggestions. Got a suggestion? E-mail me._


	5. They fell

_Still don't own anything useful! Well, now that my life has calmed down, I am going to try and see where I can take this story. _

That night Dad and I sat in the living room watching the stairs long after Delia had walked up to her room. Finally he broke the silence pondering the fact that something had turned on the light in her eyes again. But I saw something more than happiness in the way he spoke, he was worried. About what? And it wasn't until my dad actually verbalized his concern out loud that I ever knew I should worry.

"We'll lose her for good if he breaks her heart. How could he not break it? Bright is not the type to settle down and none of his relationships last very long."

And then I began to see what was before my very eyes. My sister had found the one person who she could love no matter what. She knew his past, it was so public how could she not. He knew her faults. And yet, she loved him. Most people would argue that it takes weeks, months, even years to really fall in love with someone. But I'm not most people. I fell in love with Amy the day I met her, not sometime two years later when she and I finally got together. My baby sister was in love.

I began to watch Bright carefully after that night looking for any signs that he shared my sister's feelings. And watching him reminded me of all the girls who came before her. The ones whose hearts he broke and all the one night stands. I almost confronted him the next time he walked in, playing the big brother role I was never very good at. But then I saw his eyes. You can lie absolutely convincingly, but you can never hide your true emotions in your eyes. And Bright looked at Delia in a way I have never seen him look at anyone or anything in the time I have known.him.

Amy was still in denial about what I knew I had seen in our siblings. She was convinced that he was just being the friend she needed. He needed a friend too in her eyes. Two people who knew what it was like to feel the blame for someone's death while everyone around you was celebrating that you lived. It took physical evidence to show Amy, physical evidence that we stumbled upon one night. I was going to play Amy the new song I was working on and so we returned to my house much earlier than planned. I guess they never heard the door since we came in through my studio, but when we walked out to get snacks, Amy gasped. There on the couch was Bright and Delia asleep but curled up into one another, hands intertwined.

After she woke them up, they knew we knew. After finally getting up the guts to tell parents, they were shocked to discover that everyone knew.

My dad gave up his worries when Delia announced her plans to go to nursing school. Although she could have gone to Everwood Community College, she was going away. I guess I never thought she and Bright would last past the first semester. She was still so young, still so wild at heart. I knew he would wait forever for him, but would she find someone new?

_I know it's not very good, but I have lost my desire to finish this story so there will be one more chapter and then it will be over. Unless I one day get the urge to come back and make changes and that will be a long time from now._


	6. Its right

_Well, I still don't own it. And here is the final chapter. _

And so here I am watching my best friend pace the floor of a Sunday school classroom. I have never seen him so nervous in his life. Its as though he honestly believes that after almost five years she will see him as he is and run as fast as she can. I try to remember the things he said on my wedding day to calm me down, but they would never sound right coming from me. As Amy comes in to check on her brother, I slip out to see my sister one last time before she becomes Bright's wife.

I have never seen her so beautiful or so happy. She glows in her wedding gown. Delia is the exact opposite of Bright. She is calmly sitting on a stool fixing her niece's hair. The conversation she is having with my father is so unimportant and casual that I wonder if she even remembers that today is her wedding day. And when I ask her if she is nervous her answer is so simple and so perfect.

"Its right. I am the most me and the happiest when he's around. There's nothing to be worried or nervous about."

It is a version of these words that I use to calm Bright down. She's loves him, that's all he needs to know or think about. And it is enough.

So as my father gives my sister away to the man who already possesses her heart a chapter of life closes. And the greatest love story I will ever know is not my own, but that of my baby sister and my best friend.

_Thus ends this story for now. Give me time and I may change my mind. I didn't want to leave it unfinished but I have lost my heart for it. _

_Did it turn out at least okay? Let me know!_


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